Cateye INOU Explores On-bike Video

Cateye INOU takes video and still pics, and records the route with GPS

Cateye had a couple of neat products to preview at Interbike Las Vegas, but with the “cat eye” logo barely visible on their booth, I almost missed them.

Cateye has been a part of the cycling scene since 1946, and over the decades has been a leader in developing lights, reflectors, and bike computers. This year Cateye branches out to video cameras and a light that turns off by itself when not in use. No more burned out batteries!

Video camera & GPS
The INOU (ee-know) video camera with GPS is not available now (spring 2011), but I saw a working demo and looked at some videos produced by the camera. It’s a fairly sleek device that mounts on the handlebar. Attachments will be available for mounting on the arm, helmet, etc., at a later date.

The camera’s two AA batteries will record for about an hour, I was told. It will go for about eight hours when filming one shot per second or two (with other time intervals available). This method is not bad for getting an idea of where you rode.

There is no audio. At first I found this curious, and attributed it to battery power savings. However, after I thought about it, I realized audio is not a big deal. We’ve all heard the rumble sound wind creates while riding. Who needs it?

Of course lots of people have jury-rigged camera mounts, but if you’re serious about filming your ride and you want a turnkey solution, Cateye is the way to go. Cost: $250 retail.

GPS is an interesting wrinkle. It records your route so you can share it with your friends in a social media environment on a Cateye website. This also creates a repository of GPS routes available for download, I would assume. It’s a nice way to blend social media with bikes and electronics. Roadbikereview has a nice video interview with Ellen from Cateye.

Flashing lights
While flashing lights – rear and front – are nothing new, Cateye has added an automated turn-off feature. After 50 seconds of inactivity, the light turns off automatically. Cost: $30 retail for one light.

Bike computer
In an on-again, off-again product life cycle, the wireless Adventure brings back the altimeter and gradient function missing from the Cateye product line. The unit is small, but the drawback of being small is that the numbers are tiny. Speed is the largest number shown.

Cateye U.S. headquarters is located in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. What a great place to have a bike business.

Cateye flashing reflector turns off by itself after 30 seconds of no motion.

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